you own the code
You own the code means the site's source code belongs to the business from the first commit, sitting in a version-controlled repository that transfers to the business's own account on request, at no cost.
For a site built as real code rather than assembled inside a rented page builder, the actual files, the static site itself, live in a version control system called a repository. Every change ever made to the site is recorded there: who made it, when, and exactly what it altered. That history is part of what you own, not just the current state of the site.
You own the code means that repository, and everything in it, belongs to the business from its very first entry, regardless of where it happens to be hosted while the work is being done. Hosting and ownership are two different questions, and keeping them separate is the whole point of this arrangement.
Why it matters to you
A lot of website relationships quietly make the code itself something only the developer can access, whether through a proprietary platform or simply by never granting the client visibility into it. If that relationship ends badly, the business can be left with a site it cannot move, cannot hand to someone else, and cannot even fully see. Owning the code from the first commit means none of that dependency exists. The business can walk away with everything, in full working order, at any point.
How I set it up
While I am actively doing the work, the GitHub repository sits in my own organisation for operational convenience, the same arrangement I use for every client, because it lets me manage deployments smoothly across projects. The business gets its own account on that repository from day one, with read access to every file and every change as it happens. What that account cannot do is push changes directly, because an accidental edit to a live site is a genuinely bad afternoon for everyone, and that stays my responsibility while I am running the work.
If the business ever wants the repository itself, moved into its own account rather than mine, that happens on request, with no fee and no resistance. Nothing about this setup is designed to make leaving difficult.
What it looks like in practice
Log into the repository with the account you were given and you can see the site’s entire codebase and its full history of changes, going back to the first commit. If you ever decide you want it moved to your own account, whether you are bringing in someone else or simply want it under your direct control, that request is handled quickly and without a fee, because it was always your code.
Questions I get about this
- If I own the code, why does it sit in your GitHub organisation?
- Purely for convenience while I am doing the day-to-day work. Ownership and hosting location are different things. You get your own account on the repository from day one so you can see every file and every change, and the repository itself moves to your own account whenever you ask.
- Can I read the code myself even without a developer background?
- Yes. You get read access from the start, which means you can see every file and every change as it happens. Understanding all of it is a different matter, but nothing is hidden from you.
- What happens to the code if I stop working with you?
- It comes with you. The repository transfers to your own account on request, and there is no fee for that, because it was your code the entire time.
Where this fits in our work
Want this set up properly for your business?
This is the kind of thing I build every week. Grab a time and we will talk through what fits.